Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, November 2009

Here in Toronto, there isn't much blooming; in fact, I was surprised to find as many blooms as I did. Interestingly, they're all volunteers except for the chrysanthemums.

Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon, muflier). I'm not sure where these snapdragons blew in from, since we didn't plant them last year either. I'm planning to let them self-sow.

Chrysanthemum sp. (chrysanthème). The mums aren't as pretty as they were last month, but they still have lasted a very long time.

Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane, vergerette annuelle). I was surprised to see daisy fleabane blooming at this time of year; it mostly blooms in early summer.

Lobularia maritima (alyssum, alysse odorante). I love the way this alyssum volunteers in a crack in the driveway. I may deliberately sow some in cracks next year.

Lobularia maritima (alyssum, alysse odorante). More alyssum. I must plant more of this next year, it has such a long blooming season, smells lovely, and pollinators love it! Stokes has some interesting colours you don't usually see in alyssums.

Petunia. I can't believe this petunia is still blooming, it lost its leaves ages ago and looked so nearly dead my landlords dumped it out of its hanging basket. Here it is sitting in a clump of dried up soil in November, and it's still blooming.

Sutera cordata (bacopa, sutera cordée). This was a pleasant surprise volunteer. I may plant some deliberately next year. It really needs to be started early indoors; this plant didn't bloom until autumn.

Check out what's blooming in gardens around the world this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, October 2009

It's definitely autumn now, and most of the flowering plants are either finished or on their last legs. Here are the brave hangers-on: Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon, muflier) volunteers in the front garden.

Chrysanthemum sp. (chrysanthème), courtesy of my landlord.

Helianthus annuus (sunflower, tournesol) volunteer.

Impatiens walleriana 'Accent Lavender Blue' (impatience).

Lobularia maritima (alyssum, alysse odorante), volunteer offspring of 'Rosie O'Day'.

Cynoglossum sp. (forget-me-not, souvenez-vous-de-moi).

Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan, rudbeckie dressée).

Sutera cordata (bacopa, bacopa) volunteer in the Sedum spurium (rock cress, orpin bâtard).

And here are some plants that are not blooming now but are looking pretty:

Heuchera 'Bressingham Hybrid' (coral bells, heuchère).

Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod, verge d'or du Canada).

Tiarella cordifolia (foamflower, tiarelle cordifoliée).

Waldsteinia fragaroides (barren strawberry, waldsteinie faux-fraisier).

Visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming in gardens around the world!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, August 2009

In August, the garden is overflowing with flowers! This Bloom Day most of my photos came out too badly to post; I find the current bright bright sunlight difficult to photograph in. I've linked to previous posts of these flowers where possible. In any case this month's Bloom Day is a lot like last month's, but the daylilies, Venus flytrap, butterfly weed, and liatris have gone, and the rose of Sharon has just started doing her thing.

• Acalypha rhomboidea (three-seed mercury, ricinelle rhomboïde)
• Amaranthus tuberculatus (rough-fruit amaranth, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)
• Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon, gueule de loup
• Calibrachoa (million bells)
• Campanula rapunculoides (creepycreeping bellflower, campanule fausse raiponce) (almost done blooming)
• Conyza canadensis (horseweed, vergerette du Canada)
• Dianthus chinensis 'Double Gaiety Mix' (China pinks, œillet de Chine)
• Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower, echinacée pourpre)
• Erigeron annuus (eastern daisy fleabane, érig&eaucte;ron annuelle) (mostly done blooming)
• Fuchsia
• Helianthus annuus (sunflower, tournesol)
• Heliotropium arborescens (heliotrope, héliotrope du Pérou)
• Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon, althéa)
• Hosta (almost done blooming)
• Impatiens walleriana 'Accent Lavender Blue'
• Lathyrus odoratus 'Royal Family Mix'
• Lilium 'Dot Com'
• Lobularia maritima (alyssum, alysson)
• Mentha sp. (mint, menthe)
• Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline' (almost done blooming)
• Myosotis sp. (forget-me-not, souvenez-vous-de-moi) (almost done blooming)
• Nepeta cataria (catnip, cataire) (just getting started)
• Nicotiana 'Perfume Mix' (flowering tobacco, tabac d'ornement)
• Oxalis stricta (wood sorrel, oxalide)
• Petunia 'Cascadia Mystic Purple' (shown), 'Sanguna Lavender Vein', 'Famous New White', and unknown cultivars in light pink, bright pink, and dark purple
• Polygonum lapathifolium (pale smartweed, renouée à feuilles de patience)
• Primula vulgaris (primrose, primevère)
• Reseda odorata 'Mignon's Finest Mix'
• Rudbeckia hirta
• Solanum ptycanthum
• Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod, verge d'or du Canada (just getting started)
• Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu'
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel Mix' (nasturtium, capucine)
• Viola x wittrockiana 'Delta Pure Rose'
• Zinnia elegans 'Polar Bear'

Check out what's blooming in other gardens this Bloom Day! And thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting.

First volunteer alyssum bloom!

I love the way Lobularia maritima starts blooming so early. Only 5 cm high and already flowering!

Lobularia maritima: seeds

Lobularia maritima, known in English as sweet alyssum or sweet Allison and in French as alysson maritime, alysse odorante, or corbeille d'argent, is a hardy annual native to southern Europe, covered in tiny, four-petalled flowers, usually white or purple but there are pink, pale yellow, pale blue, and peach cultivars available.

Last year I grew alyssum from seed direct-sown in the garden in early spring; but since we also had a number of self-sown volunteers come up (clearly distinguishable since they were a different colour!), clearly this is a great candidate for winter-sowing. The seeds are about 1 long and light to medium brown, not too difficult to handle.

Lobularia maritima: flowers

Lobularia maritima, known in English as sweet alyssum or sweet Allison and in French as alysson maritime, alysse odorante, or corbeille d'argent, is a hardy annual native to southern Europe. Alyssum grows rapidly from seed sown directly in the garden in early spring (or even in the fall: it will self-sow) and is soon covered in tiny, four-petalled flowers, usually white or purple but there are pink, pale yellow, pale blue, and peach cultivars available. In our yard alyssum was still blooming well into autumn; it was the last flower to disappear.

Alyssum makes a nice flowering groundcover for sunny areas with a lovely honey fragrance.